Navigation within a large computer file

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and graphical user interface (GUI) for navigating within the contents of a computer file, and specifically within a large non-paginated graphical file. A first portion of the file is displayed at a first magnification. Thereafter, an option is selected to display a second portion of the contents of the file (preferably the entire file) at a second lower magnification. An area is defined within the displayed second portion that highlights the first portion. This area is moveable, preferably by clicking and dragging the area using a mouse pointer, to a new (third location) on the file. Thereafter, the method allows the third portion to be automatically or manually magnified as was the first portion.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to a graphical user interface (GUI) for a computer, and more specifically to a GUI useful for viewing and navigating through large graphical files. BACKGROUND [0002] In certain computing applications, a computer user might need to view a computer file that is so large that it cannot reasonably be viewed in its entirety on the user's computer display. A good example of such a file is a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file 10, which is illustrated in FIG. 1. The CAD file 10 in this example illustrates various views of a unit 12. Although the unit 12 as illustrated is relatively simple, one will recognize that for an extremely complicated unit, perhaps having many parts and subparts, the graphical workspace that shows all relevant portions of the unit 12 (and perhaps its manufacturing specifications, material specifications, and other things that might appear on a manufacturing drawing) can be quite large. As a result, t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] Disclosed herein is a method and graphical user interface (GUI) for navigating within the contents of a computer file, and specifically within a large graphical file. A first portion of the file is displayed at a first magnification. Thereafter, an option is selected to display a second portion of the contents of the file (preferably the entire file) at a second lower magnification. An area is defined within the displayed second portion that highlights the first portion. This area is moveable, preferably by clicking and dragging the area using a mouse, to a new (third location) on the file. Thereafter, the method allows the third portion to be automatically or manually magnified.

Problems solved by technology

In certain computing applications, a computer user might need to view a computer file that is so large that it cannot reasonably be viewed in its entirety on the user's computer display.

Such physically large files 10 present a problem for the user.

However, because the user remains in a high magnification view, it is difficult to navigate to the desired new view 12b (20c) because its location is only generally known.

Thus, locating such a view can be frustrating, and if the file 10 is large enough, the user can simply loose his bearings and eventually may have no idea where to find view 12b.

However, it is still a cumbersome process requiring a lot of input and button pressing from the user.

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